Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

इत्येतत्कथितं राजन्यत्पृष्टोहं त्वयाऽनघ । सर्वक्षेत्रोत्तमं क्षेत्रं वज्रलेपविनाशनम्

Transliteration

ityetatkathitaṃ rājanyatpṛṣṭohaṃ tvayā'nagha | sarvakṣetrottamaṃ kṣetraṃ vajralepavināśanam

Translation

ಓ ರಾಜನೇ, ಓ ಅನಘನೇ! ನೀನು ಕೇಳಿದುದನ್ನು ನಾನು ಹೀಗೆ ತಿಳಿಸಿದೆನು. ಈ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರವು ಎಲ್ಲ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ; ‘ವಜ್ರಲೇಪ’ ದೋಷವನ್ನು ನಾಶಮಾಡುವದು।

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha-bodhaka (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उक्त्यर्थक/quotative particle)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• kathitam: told, narrated
• kathitam: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु) → kathita (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/भूतकर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘(एतत्) कथितम्’ = ‘has been told’

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• yat: which (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक relative pronoun

• pṛṣṭaḥ: asked
• pṛṣṭaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Relative predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prach (धातु) → pṛṣṭa (कृदन्त, क्त/PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘यत् पृष्टः’ = ‘which (I) was asked’

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (युष्मद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• anagha: O sinless one
• anagha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anagha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; विशेषणार्थक संबोधन

• sarva-kṣetra-uttamam: the best of all sacred places
• sarva-kṣetra-uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + kṣetra + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां क्षेत्राणाम् उत्तमम्)

• kṣetram: sacred place, field
• kṣetram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• vajra-lepa-vināśanam: destroyer of the ‘vajra-lepa’ (hard coating/obstruction)
• vajra-lepa-vināśanam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vajra + lepa + vināśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (वज्रलेपस्य विनाशनम्)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha (addressing King Dilīpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (addressed as rājan, anagha)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vasiṣṭha, seated in a hermitage-like court setting, addresses a king; behind them a visionary map-like glimpse of Dvārakā shines, while a symbolic ‘vajra-like crust’ cracks and falls away from a human figure.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Dilīpa
• Dvārakā
• Vajra-lepa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest tīrthas are praised as universal remedies for spiritual bondage and impurity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is identified as the foremost kṣetra and the destroyer of vajra-lepa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; the verse summarizes the teaching about the kṣetra’s supreme efficacy.